The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1887-06-24
This most promising Of Journeys be


er, IL sancy.eyed fellow, with bunch
OF rhododendron in his hat, barred his
head. mumble,i n prayer and crossed
himself before he took the reins. We
started off at a fine pace over road
ike n marble floor.
Even to US wayfarers. who had
grown quite familiar with the grand
pinnge and roar OF an avalanche, the
& ddy fail of glacier torrents, the
plumy pines, jaunti:y worn cloud-veils
and other mountain millinery, this
drive would be Tor all time memor-
able one. Italy Tapped over into the
Iyroi and gave the people dark, lus-
trous eyes, 1.-THE figures, graceful port
and picturesque costume long before
we left Austrian territory.
Near Croce Blanca pathetic Incl
dent occurred. A wanlooking woman
came out from a cottage and walked
slowly toward US. bearing a small
black box on her head. She SAID a few
sentences in Italian to our guard, who
reverently pushed the rough little cof.
lin in among the luggage at the back
OF the diligence. He afterwards told
us that it contained the body OF a
baby who had died the previous day.
Its mother, fatally i'll ut the cottage,
had begged that it misht be buried ut
Pieve di Cadore, her birthplace. where
she had friends who would receive it.
1t was quite out OF the ordinary
custom to make the diligence tuner
al car for peasant baby; but regu-
latlons were elastic in that part OF the
world, and our guard seemed ready
to risk reproof in order to crafty a
dying woman's wish.
Pieve di Cadore. the birthplace OF
Titan. as we'll Us OF the poor woman
who had lost her baby, was mile or
more distant from the diligence road.
For passengers wishing TO visit this
place an omnibus was sent to the
crossroads; those more prosaicahy
inclined remaining at an inn for din
ner and repose.
We were among the latter, and, aft.
er taking refreshment, watched at our
ease from atar the hustle of changing
horses and men and escorting travel
ers and luggage from one conveyance
to the other. At nightfal we watched
Marina, where we were provided with
supper and a room decorated with
pictures OF SAINTS in smiling torture.
The next morning, as we had some
hours to spare before resuming our
Journey, Margaret astonished me by
sending for her violin.
"You don't mean to saw yoli have
brought the fiddle on this expedition
OF all otherss" ! exclaimed, blankly.
"Of course brought it. 1t would
not have been safe otherwise, and /
was not sure we should return by this
route. | bade the waiter put it in the
diligence without your knowledge, as
l sometimes fancied it annoyed YOU"
Very we'll" returned, resienedly.
II will go out for n walk while you
practice" And ! suited the action to
the word without further delay.
My thoughts were cheerful compan-
ions. The next afternoon would find
us in Venice; the day following would
be a red-letter one for all the year; the
birthday fete, the wonders of the ma
Stacy. All was like a delicious dream,
short and sweet as dreams are, but
amply worth any fatigue and discom-
tort which the journey might cause.
When | returned from my walk l
found Margaret in floods oftears, pac-
ing the room distractedly and wiring
ing her hands in undisguised distress.
When she could control her voice she
told me woeful tale.
When went out she had sent for
the violin. After some eunaccountable
delay, o man appeared, bringing
black box, which was like--and yet
strangely unlike-the fiddle case. "a
creepy feeling ran down myeback as l
looked at it, she said: II sent the
man to look again, but he declared
there was no other black box among
the luggage, except hat case. He
grew quite violent about it, and Isup-
pose he was excited, too, for the truth
was beginning to dawnupon me. Final
ly he ran away And got screWdriver,
opened the box, and started back
with an exclamation which confirmed
my worst fears. 1t contained that
poor little baby, looking as beautiful
and peaceful as anything you can
imagine"
"How dreadful! But you must
have recovered from the shock now,
Margaret, dear2"
"shock2 You don't seem to realize
that they have buried my violin"
/ dropped Imply into q chair,
There is not n moment to lose,"
Margaret continued. II must take
the first conveyance back to Pieve. 1t
breaks my heart to have you 20 on
alone to Venice, and shall feel un-
easy about you every moment. But
what can do? OH dear; was ever
anything so distressing"
Couldn't wa leave the fiddle till
after our trip"
"How can you make such wild
suggestion, kate2 1t would be ruined
by lying so long in the damp earth.
Prompt action may possibly save it
from being busied at all No, must
go at once to the rescue"
saw that remonstrance would be
perfectly useless; Margaret would be
frantic if restrained. She could not
go back to Pieve alone, because to ex-
plain her mission there, Italian would
be necessary, and Margaret had not
learned the language which spoke
well. She had befriended me to her
own inconvenience in thousand in.
stances already, and it was plainly
my duty to stand by her now, She
did not know how great the sacrifice
would be for me. for had not told
her OF my hope OF meeting Herbert
Stacy.
After Il brief, bitter conflict with
myself said: IL will 60 back to Pieve
with you" And rs | uttered these
words | felt mentally all the to,tnre
which the wriggling saints on the wall |
expressed in their bodies.
But. dear child, you will miss the
fete; there is not time for 10th"
"Never mind that. / didn't feel
much interest in it, anyway. 1t was
the-the scenery liked, and we have
had the best of it already" l was
determined to play my part OF mar
tyr gracefully, even at the expense of
truth.
"How good OF you, Kate! l hated
more than words can express 10 go
alone among all those queer people.
], couldn't explain my miss on, and
they would probably think me n